Technology for
Equity and
Justice
Fellowship

TEJ trains individuals from underrepresented communities to become software engineers through its in-house nine-month full time fellowship.

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OUR PROGRAMS

BOOTCAMP

Technology for Equity and Justice (TEJ) has developed a nine-month coding fellowship for students from marginalized and underrepresented communities. The fellows will be trained from little or no coding knowledge to fully capable software engineers earning competitive salaries. Fellows will be paid a stipend of Rs. 16,000.00 a month throughout the program.

The TEJ Fellows are selected following a rigorous selection process. The nine month fellowship is conducted in two phases: I) The Coding Bootcamp phase is an in-person six-month full-time training where we teach JavaScript language for frontend and backend. The training is facilitated by highly experienced IT Engineers with work experience in the United States and Nepal. II) The Internship phase is focused on putting technical training to practical use. It includes soft skills training in communications and job search skills to find and grow in good jobs in Nepali and international companies.

PRE BOOTCAMP

At TEJ, recognizing the gender disparity in the technology sector and learning from our own experience in difficulties faced by women in learning technology, we have designed a three-month part-time Introduction to JavaScript Pre Bootcamp specifically for women from marginalized and underrepresented communities. This is a free program with five hours per week in-class, and an additional commitment of 10-15hrs per week to do the workshops and exercises. The fellows will be trained from little or no coding experience to a having solid foundation in programming fundamentals with a focus on JavaScript.

The pre-bootcamp fellows are selected through an application process. The program has a weekly rhythm, where we introduce a new programming concept each week that builds on previous weeks' lessons. The knowledge is further explored by doing the assigned exercises, with additional help provided via an online community and office hours.

ABOUT US

WHAT IS TEJ?

Globally, the tech industry is acknowledging the lack of diversity within the sector and companies are creating resource groups to increase their diversity. TEJ is focusing on the supply side to train highly competent software engineers from underrepresented communities by:

  • Prioritizing equity in caste, class and gender
  • Providing high quality fullstack javascript coding training
  • Augmenting technical skills with soft skills
  • Removing barriers to entry by providing stipends, afternoon classes, and other supportive resources
  • Mentoring by experienced industry professionals
  • Ongoing engagement after graduation

WHY TEJ?

The technology industry has constantly faced a shortage of good software engineers. As the supply of computer engineering graduates has not been able to meet the demand, the last 10 years has seen the emergence of coding bootcamps in North America and Europe that are conducted in terms of six months or less. The bootcamp has proven to be a successful model, and employers now recruit from them just as they do from universities. These coding bootcamps provide unmatched return on investment as they prepare students for jobs in a short period.

In Nepal, the representation of historically marginalized communities in the technology sector has been dramatically lower than those from privileged class and caste groups due to structural barriers, including a lack of access to information and resources. To address this issue and close the gap, TEJ has created a nine month coding fellowship designed to ensure the success of students from underrepresented groups and communities.

ELIGIBILITY

At TEJ Fellowship, we recruit and invest in candidates from marginalized and underrepresented communities in technology. We are looking for candidates including but not limited to the following qualifications:

  • Communities underrepresented in the technology sector in Nepal (caste, gender, and other identities)
  • Able to dedicate full time commitment to the fellowship
  • Interest in pursuing a career in technology
  • Demonstrated ability to work hard and collaborate in diverse teams

APR-2024 PRE-B00TCAMP FELLOWS

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Chondue Lama

Chondue Chama Lama, from Pugmo village, is currently enrolled in Reed Model HSS’s first year of Bachelor of Business studies program. Chondue likes to play football, dance, sing and learn different things.

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Deepanjali Nagarkoti

Deepanjali is in the sixth semester at Prime College. She is a passionate undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT).

Her passion lies in coding, with a particular enthusiasm for applying her skills to real-world projects and solving complex problems.

She is always up for new opportunities and connections to enhance her abilities and increase her knowledge. She likes traveling, reading tech blogs and books, and exploring new technologies. She also likes trekking, playing chess, and participating in indoor sports.

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Muskan Lama

Muskan Lama lives in Tokha, Nepal. She studied Microbiology at Padmakanya Multiple Campus and completed her Higher Secondary Education at Xavier Academy. She received her School Leaving Certificate (SLC) from Samata School. She has always been fascinated by the vast possibilities of the internet. Despite her non-technical background, she has maintained an interest in technology, developing skills in graphic design and video editing. Currently, she is committed to learning the fundamentals of coding and making daily progress. Her hobbies include reading novels and developing new skills, especially those that challenge her comfort zone. She is also practicing the classical dance form Kathak and learning the Chinese language and culture.

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Nija Maharjan

Nija Maharjan resides in Kathmandu and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at IIMS College. She has a passion for music and continuously seeks opportunities to learn and grow. She is particularly focused on enhancing her technical skills in the field of computer science. With a strong interest in front-end development and UI/UX design, she aims to build a career in these areas, leveraging her creativity and technical expertise.

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Nyima Gurung

Nyima Bhuti Gurung has completed her +2 in the Management Faculty (Commerce). Originally from Dolpa, she now resides in Boudha. Currently, she is working as a front desk staff at a guest house. Her hobbies include painting, drawing, and scripting short stories.

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Pasang bhuti Lama

Pasang Bhuti Lama, originally from Namdo, Dolpa, is currently residing in Boudha, Kathmandu. She is in her last semester of bachelor's degree in Information Technology at Texas College of Management and IT. Her hobbies include reading books, listening to music, swimming, dancing, and eagerly learning new things.

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Rojina Tamang

Rojina Tamang is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at IIMS college. With continuous practice and learning, she actively seeks opportunities to apply her growing knowledge in computer science to enhance her creative endeavors.

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Shreejana Magar

Shreejana Magar is a student residing in Teku, Kathmandu, originally from Dhading. She is studying computer engineering at Saraswati Niketan Secondary School (9-12 grade course) and is currently waiting for her SEE results. She is interested in music and arts, and coding.

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Supriya Gupta

Supriya, currently a B.Sc. CSIT student, is in her 6th semester at Prime College in Khusibu, Kathmandu. She is originally from Birgunj and currently resides in Balaju, Kathmandu. She completed her SEE from Holy Garden Boarding High School and her +2 from NIST College in Lainchaur. Initially studying biology, her passion for technology led her to pursue a degree in IT. This passion for technology and coding drives her to constantly explore and innovate, transforming complex problems into solutions. Her hobbies include cooking, exploring new places, and learning new things.

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Sushma Shrestha

Sushma Shrestha is a student residing in Teku, Kathmandu, originally from Dhading. She is studying computer engineering at Saraswati Niketan Secondary School (9-12 grade course) and is currently waiting for her SEE results. She has a keen interest in music and arts, and because she is pursuing a course in computer engineering, she is also interested in coding.

BOARD

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Benju Lwagun

Benju Lwagun is a writer at Global Voices. In her articles, she focuses on the issues of Migrant Workers, Women's Rights, and Caste Based Discriminations of Nepal. She has a master’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and has more than 6 years of work experience in the Development Communications and Public Relations Sector in Nepal and Myanmar. She is currently based in Amman, Jordan. In her free time, Benju likes to sing, listen to music and read books.

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Pawan Benjamin

Pawan Benjamin is a professional musician and a technology educator.

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Puran Singh

Puran is a Dad and a Software Engineer currently living in Walnut Creek, California. He is a Co-founder/Head of Engineering at a health-tech company providing market access platform for the prescription drug manufacturers. He’s been working in the Software Industry for almost 15 years now and has worked for small/large companies like Yahoo, Intuit, and Shutterfly before co-founding Phil in 2015.

He’s also a founding member/president of PDRC that provides access and support to the students from the marginalized community for their higher education. He’s one of the very early and very few members from the marginalized community in Nepal to graduate from the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk Campus on a full scholarship by securing the first rank in a nationwide entrance examination. He always felt the lack of good mentorship and guidance throughout his academic and professional career and feels strongly about solving it for the younger generation of students and professionals. That’s one big reason he started HamroGroup.org.

If he’s not playing with his son, he loves to read and build things on the side to learn, explore, and help others.

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Rushil Shakya

Rushil Shakya is a technology educator who is passionate about making the sector more inclusive. He has worked in leadership capacities in large fortune 500 company as well as in technology startup. He has also volunteered his time and expertise for a number of social justice organizations in Nepal and the United States.

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Topraj Gurung

Topraj Gurung is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. He first started coding in 1999 and has since then worked at Google, Facebook and startups in various capacities. He got his PhD in Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. In his free time, he loves following NBA basketball.

TEAM

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Director of Growth

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Program Co-ordinator / Instructor

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CEO / Lead Instructor

ADVISORY GROUP

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Aditi Mody

Aditi Mody is currently on the Board of Trustee at the University of Chicago Trust ( since February 2018).

Aditi was the Former Executive Director at the University of Chicago Trust (2016- 2021) where she provided strategic and administrative leadership in promoting research, education, and engagement of the University in multi sector policy and program implementation within the region.

She was also the Former Executive Director of the UChicago Center in India Private Limited (2016-2020) where she worked closely with the University of Chicago’s academic and administrative leaders, to support University of Chicago initiatives, develop and expand academic collaborations and foster collaborative programming and policy engagement in India and South Asia.

Aditi also served as Country Director for India with the US-India Business Council (USIBC) at the US Chamber of Commerce. At USIBC, Aditi was responsible for establishing the India office of the Council and growing the commercial and strategic partnership between the countries by leading charge on bilateral policy advocacy issues for USIBC’s diverse membership with a variety of stakeholders across a range of sectors.

She served on Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Cargill Global Scholars Selection Committee (April 2021) and was on the National Screening Committee for the Fulbright-Nehru CII Fellowship for Leadership Management (2010-2011).

Aditi currently serves on the Women Leadership Board at the Women and Public

Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School as well as the Board of Trustees at Habiart Foundation (which promotes contemporary Indian Art).

She holds a M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago (USA) and Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Bristol University (UK).

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Amy T. Paul

Amy Paul is a communication and fundraising professional who has helped advance immigrant justice, community-driven public safety, and workers’ rights. She has worked for nonprofits including Possible Health and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. She has also served as a board member for Adhikaar for Human Rights. Amy holds a Master’s in International Affairs from the New School and an undergraduate degree in public policy from The University of Chicago. She lives in Jackson Heights, Queens.

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Barsha Maharjan

Barsha is a product designer based in New York City. She graduated from Parsons School of Design with an MFA in Design and Technology and currently is working as a UX/UI designer and Front-End Developer at a nonprofit organization. She is also an avid guitarist and a movie critique.

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Brittin Alfred

Brittin is a development professional with extensive experience in Nepal. She holds a master's degree in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University.

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Mamta Gurung Nyangmi

Mamta Gurung Nyangmi has over 20 years of experience in international and community development. She has worked at the UN, at numerous international and national NGOs as well as the private sector. She provides strategic, programmatic, and organizational management to global and grassroots organizations in the US, South Asia, and South East Asia. With a focus on intersections of social protection, education, gender, ethnic and racial justice, Mamta understands that sustainable development occurs when systems are set up to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion of the marginalized and the vulnerable.

Born to a pastoral family in rural Nepal, Mamta has lived and worked in some of the most vibrant cities in the world including Kathmandu, Delhi and New York and uses these cross-cultural experiences to navigate complex situations and advocate for representation. She has a Masters in International Development from Cornell University, Bachelors in International Development from the City University of New York and, a BA Honors in English Literature from Delhi University. She is fluent in Nepali, Hindi, English and in her native tongue Manangi, is conversational in Tibetan and speaks basic Spanish.

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Matti Luukkainen

Matti is a senior lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Helsinki, specializing in web development and cloud-based software engineering. A pioneer in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), he launched the Helsinki Programming MOOC in 2012. In 2018, he collaborated with several industry partners to initiate the Full Stack Open course series, which focuses on cutting-edge technologies. His courses have attracted thousands of participants worldwide. Matti is a strong advocate for open-access learning, releasing all his teaching materials under open licenses.

In addition to his teaching role, Matti is an active software developer. Together with his team, TOSKA, he builds systems used by several universities in Finland. He has also worked as a software developer at Nokia and the startup AppGyver, which was later acquired by SAP.

In his free time, Matti enjoys rock climbing and trekking in the Alps and occasionally in the Himalayas.

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Navaraj Gyawali

Navaraj is a development professional with over twenty-five years of leadership experience in Asia and Africa. Currently, he is a consultant for NGO management, strategy, and leadership, and he coaches and mentors senior managers. He is interested in organizational development, operational management, organizational change and leadership mentoring.

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Prarthana Gurung

Prarthana (she/her) is a first-generation Nepali-American, born and raised in the U.S., and currently serves as the Director of Campaigns & Communications at Adhikaar, a community and worker center that organizes the Nepali-speaking immigrant and refugee community. Prarthana brings to TEJ a decade of experience in building campaigns and bridging communications for social justice movements spanning from worker rights, immigration, environmental justice, police accountability, and public health. She currently resides in Queens, New York City.

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Ramesh Singh

Ramesh Singh is currently a freelance consultant and volunteer living in and working from Asia (Bangkok – Kathmandu).

Strategy review, evaluation and development, public policy advocacy, NGO design, governance and architecture, integrity and accountability systems, strategic leadership teaching, training and mentoring are his areas of interest, learning and expertise.

Ramesh Singh has worked in leadership roles at country, regional and global levels in development, human rights and environmental international organizations. He has lived in and worked from South and Southeast Asia; West, East and Southern Africa; North America; and Western Europe. He has also served in governance roles of various international organisations.

Ramesh was educated as an agronomist/seed technologist. He has been a visiting fellow at Institute of Development Studies UK; Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs US and, Harvard Kennedy School US.

He has done recent consultancy and pro-bono work at Amnesty International, Africans Rising Movement, Greenpeace India, ActionAid, WaterAid, International Development Economist Associates and Women or Women International.

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Todd Rodgers

Todd Rodgers is the CTO at Haven Technologies, a new SaaS company that leverages an industry leading technology platform to help carriers deliver new products and digitally transform their operations.

Prior to launching Haven Technologies, Todd was CTO at Haven Life, a life insurance startup that takes a customer-centric, digital approach to improving the life insurance buying experience. In this role, Todd oversaw development teams to ensure delivery of a next generation customer experience in the life insurance industry.

Todd has extensive leadership experience in defining and delivering large-scale strategic technology platforms in financial companies. Prior to joining Haven Life, he was at Citi Private Bank where he managed global development teams that worked to address complex financial needs of high-value clients.

SUCCESS STORIES

Sudesh Mate

Sudesh Mate

Software Engineer

Sudesh Mate from Biratchowk, Morang completed bachelor's degree from the Institute of Engineering, Purwanchal campus. After TEJ Fellowship, he landed a job as a Software Engineer at Rhombuz, a data-first product company based in Seattle.

Raju Lama

Raju Lama

Associate Software Engineer

Raju Lama from Dolakha completed his BA from Ratna Rajyalaxmi Campus. Starting from a non-technical degree, he honed his skills in software engineering at TEJ Fellowship and is now hired as an Associate Software Engineer at Fusemachines, an AI company based in New York, NY.

Niru Magar

Niru Magar

Lead Instructor BCP

Niru Magar from Siraha completed her master's degree in Zoology at Tribhuvan University. Even with a non-technical degree, her experience in teaching and her time at TEJ Fellowship has enabled her to become the Lead Instructor for the Pre Bootcamp program at TEJ Center.

Lishu Maharjan

Lishu Maharjan

Associate Software Engineer

Lishu Maharjan from Kathmandu completed her bachelor's degree in Information Management at Prime College. Post her training at TEJ Fellowship, she has been hired as an Associate Software Engineer at Rumsan, a premier blockchain company focused on social impact.

Akash Sunar

Akash Sunar

Associate Software Engineer

Akash Sunar from Kawasoti Nawalpur, completed his bachelor's degree at the Institute of Engineering, Paschimanchal Campus. After completing Tej Fellowship, he has been hired as an Associate Software Engineer at Rumsan, a premier blockchain company focused on social impact.

Amir Thapa

Amir Thapa

Associate Software Engineer

Amir Thapa from Hetauda completed his bachelor's degree in Engineering at Nepal College of Information Technology. He went from network to software at TEJ Fellowship and is now an Associate Software Engineer at Fusemachines, an AI company based in New York, NY.

Hemlal Dulal

Hemlal Dulal

Associate Software Engineer

Hemlal Dulal from Sindhupalchok completed his bachelor's degree in BSc CSIT at Patan Multiple Campus. After TEJ Fellowship, he was hired as an Associate Software Engineer at GrowByData, a US based company that offers Marketing Intelligence to Agencies & Brands.

Liza Maharjan

Liza Maharjan

Software Engineer

Liza Maharjan is from Lagantole, Kathmandu, and completed her bachelor's degree in Information Management at Prime College. TEJ Fellowship trained and enabled her to get a job as a Software Engineer at Rhombuz, a data-first product company based in Seattle.

Pitamber Rana

Pitamber Rana

Associate Software Engineer

Pitamber Rana from Tansen completed his bachelor's degree in Business Management at Tribhuvan Multiple Campus. With no prior experience in IT, TEJ Fellowship enabled him to land a job as an Associate Software Engineer at Fusemachines, an AI company based in New York, NY.

Prabesh Magar

Prabesh Magar

Graduate Certificate

Prabesh Magar from Bharatpur, Chitwan completed his bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering at United Technical College. After TEJ Fellowship, he has been accepted into the DevOps Graduate Certificate program at Lambton College in Toronto, Canada.

Pratiksha Rai

Pratiksha Rai

Associate Software Engineer

Originally from Janakpur, Pratiksha Rai has a BA from Trichandra College. She was able to go from a non-technical background to software engineering at TEJ Fellowship, and is now hired as an Associate Software Engineer at Rumsan, a premier blockchain company focused on social impact.

Sandhya Yadav

Sandhya Yadav

Master's in Computer Science

Sandhya Yadav from Birgunj completed her bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. After TEJ Fellowship she landed a job at Fusemachines, and is currently enrolled in master's degree in Computer Science at Maharishi University in Iowa, US.

Sunil Kumar Tajpuriya

Sunil Kumar Tajpuriya

Mid Level React Developer

Sunil comes from a village, Panchagachhi, in Jhapa. He completed his bachelor's degree from the Institute of Engineering, Purwanchal campus, Dharan. TEJ Fellowship trained and enabled him to get a job as a Mid Level React Developer at Theme Grill.

Suraj Gaire

Suraj Gaire

Software Engineer

Suraj Gaire comes from Tansen, Palpa and completed his bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Nepal Engineering College. After TEJ Fellowship, he was hired as a Software Engineer by Rhombuz, a data-first product company based in Seattle.

Sushil Kumar Thanet

Sushil Kumar Thanet

Graduate Certificate

Sushil Kumar Thanet from East Nawalparasi completed his bachelor's degree in Information Management at KIST College. Post TEJ Fellowship, he has been accepted into the Full Stack Software Development Graduate Certificate program at Lambton College in Ontario, Canada.

TESTIMONIALS

Punit Man Shrestha

Punit Man Shrestha

Director of Technology

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Last year, we hired a group of trainees for on-the-job training with the goal of eventually placing them in various projects. From the very beginning, it was evident that the individuals we hired fro....

Santosh Shrestha

Santosh Shrestha

CTO and Co-Founder

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On behalf of Rumsan, we are pleased to commend the TEJ Foundation for its exceptional Fellowship program. TEJ Foundation’s training equips individuals from diverse backgrounds, even those outside of ....

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Our partnership with the Tej Fellows Bootcamp for software engineering roles has far exceeded expectations, bringing us highly skilled, hardworking individuals ready to tackle real-world challenges. ....

CONTACT US

If you are interested in TEJ Fellowship, please tell us about yourself and we will get in touch with you.

For any other communications, please contact us by email at tej.fellowship@gmail.com

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